


To Breathe Such Vows As Lovers Use To Swear

by Ambrose



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-26 19:05:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3861238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambrose/pseuds/Ambrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for extraordinarym4chine for the Bard's Birthday exchange. Prompt was genderbent Romeo and Juliet. I kept the names for clarity's sake. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote>





	To Breathe Such Vows As Lovers Use To Swear

**Author's Note:**

> Written for extraordinarym4chine for the Bard's Birthday exchange. Prompt was genderbent Romeo and Juliet. I kept the names for clarity's sake. Hope you enjoy!

“Come, Romeo, we can't stay,” Benvolio said as she dragged her cousin out of the Capulets' house.

“Let me wait here – I want to see her again!” With a sigh, she added for herself, “though it will do nothing but add to my sufferings.”

“Come on, Romeo,” Ben repeated, holding Romeo by her sleeve as they went further from the enemy house, “this morning still you only had eyes for Rosalio – and now this? What devil has taken hold of you?”

“A woman!” Mercutio interrupted, climbing on the mansion's wall and pirouetting along. “Enthralled by a woman! All perfumes and gowns and... Romeo, I thought you cleverer than that yet!”

“Aren't you a lady as well?” Romeo remarked with a smile, refusing to let show the pain created by her friend's words, but determined to defend herself and her newfound love.

“Perhaps,” Mercutio replied, only half in jest.

“Therefore what makes you think she is any worse than you, or myself indeed?”

“Have you forgotten already? She's a Capulet! Ah, Romeo, when you tire of chasing the impossible!”

“Right. I'll search for Queen Mab, then.”

Mercutio pouted, in pretend vexation. She would have soon answered with a jest if Romeo, tired of their arguments, had not jumped over the nearby wall Mercutio was still atop of, into a garden. She didn't know exactly where she was, whether still in the Capulet orchard, or a neighbouring park. She simply hoped wandering in the cold night air, alone, would do her good.

Her friends called her back, but did not give chase. She ignored them, and the sound of their voice soon faded. She did not care for their jokes and their bitter remarks – they could not know what she was experiencing – and what was it indeed, this, this _madness_? Was it love? It felt so different from anything she had ever felt before – oh, what a fool she had been, thinking she was in love with Rosalio – and yet she had been, maybe? but nothing compared to Juliet, not the stars nor the sun, and indeed not Rosalio. Anything was brighter in Juliet's presence, and she could not care less that she was supposed to be her enemy - nothing could stand between her and her love! And if by some chance she found herself under Juliet's window, well, should she call it destiny?

 

 

“Juliet!” her nurse called, and then it all happened so fast; one second she was staring into pretty green eyes through a deep blue mask – she should have known, in retrospect – and the next, everyone was pushing her around, trying to shove her prospective husband into her arms for a dance she all but forgot the steps to.

She turned around, looking for her strange pilgrim – she had been dressed as a man, clever costume for a masquerade – and only caught a glimpse of her running out with two of her friends (she thought she could recognize the prince's niece amongst them), Capulet followers giving chase, Tybalt the first amongst them.

“Nurse, who is this there?”

“Romeo, and a Montague, the lady of the house's daughter!”

And it seemed like everything was falling down around her. And yet she still had to tend to her mother, and pretend she liked Paris and was thrilled at the prospect of marriage.

But now that she was alone in her chambers, with nothing but her thoughts, and the stars for witnesses, she could not get Romeo out of her mind – the daughter of her enemy – well, her family's enemy, really, and who was to blame when no-one could even remember what they fought for? Certainly not Romeo, or herself, who had not been born yet when their parents' - or was it grandparents'? - fight had started. So then what kept her from Romeo? Nothing. Nothing but the church, their families, and that marriage she was destined to, to a gross man she could not refuse lest she exposed herself to her father's wrath. If only she could pretend, for a moment, for a night, that she were no Romeo, that herself were no Capulet – could she allow herself but to dream of this, before everything was taken away from her, by family and duty? 

 

 

She did not realise she was speaking aloud to the night air until she heard a voice from outside, calling at her. She startled. If anyone knew of this! What would happen to her? What would happen to Romeo?

Yet the voice spoke again, and she thought she recognized it – yes, Romeo's voice – and what was she doing here? Why was it that she risked her life to be there, and talk to her too? Juliet could not let her be so reckless, she could not bear to think anything would happen to her. 

… And yet she could not send her away. And soon enough Romeo was telling her of her love, and Juliet could hardly believe it. It had to be all a dream. And yet, the memory of kisses exchanged, and sweet words, made her think that maybe, _maybe_ , this could be real. And yet, what of it? Not only enemies, but two women too! And she, destined to be married! There was no future in that. And yet again, she wanted to believe in Romeo's words, her promises of eternity. Promises of names forgotten and vows to the moon. And Juliet promised her love in return, which after all she had given even before Romeo appeared before her window. 

Romeo, in a frenzy of loving words, asked for her hand – and she could only smile at the prospect, melting inside, thinking herself her bride's bride... but of course that could not be. 

And what if nothing could come of it? What if it was destined to fail, for there was no way for them to be together in the public eye? In the darkness of the night, and all the nights to come, they could still be together. She could stay her father a while, promise her father to marry but another day, another year, and in that time work to make their families friends again, that they could one day be seen together as friends, and no-one would be the wiser.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Right, hum. I didn't switch everyone's gender, for lack of time to create a whole matriarchy in which it could work (not saying I might not end up doing that at some point in the future ^^), so I really hope this is still ok with you and you like it :)


End file.
